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Ryan Lavarnway will get first major league start at first base

Craig Breslow, Ryan Lavarnway

Boston Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow, right, shakes hands with catcher Ryan Lavarnway last season in New York. Lavarnway will make his first major-league start at first base tonight against Atlanta. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
(Bill Kostroun)

BOSTON – With Mike Napoli on the disabled list and Mike Carp day-to-day after fouling a ball off his foot on Tuesday, it's Ryan Lavarnway's turn at first base.

The catcher-turned-first baseman will get his first major-league start at first base tonight.

Lavarnway, who was drafted by the Red Sox in 2008 as a catcher out of Yale, has found little traction in an organization that has a slew of talented catching prospects including Pawtucket's Christian Vazquez and Portland's Blake Swihart.

So Boston transitioned Lavarnway to first base this season. In 26 games at first base in Pawtucket, Lavarnway has made only two errors. He was recalled from Triple-A on Monday after Napoli was sent to the disabled list with a sprained finger.

"It’s been going really good," said Lavarnway when he was called up on Monday. "I’m excited in the direction i’m headed. First base is going along nicely, first base is coming along."

"We saw in Spring Training we wouldn’t have any hesitancy to play him there," said manager John Farrell of Lavarnway at first. "I go back to a conversation with him in the offseason when there was some concern on his part because of other (major league) guys in the position and yet it’s the very reason he’s in the lineup tonight. To his credit he’s worked hard at becoming accomplished or at least capable at the position."

Lavarnway hit .299 with a homer, seven doubles and 14 RBIs in 25 games with the Red Sox last season. He's had a slow start offensively in Pawtucket this season hitting .265/.357/.346 in 44 games with Pawtucket this season.